Electrically-heated laundry-iron



E. N. LIGHTFOOT.

ELECTHICALLY HEATED LAUNDRY IRON.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28, 1917.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN N. LIGH'rroor, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AsSIGNoE To THE CnrLEn-HAMMER MFG. Co., or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION or WISCONSIN.

ELECTRICALLY-HEATED LAUNDRY-IRON.

Application filed September 28, 1917.

To all whom t may concemt:

Be it known that I, EDWIN N. LICHTroo'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of Bronx and 4State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Heated Laundry-Irons, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of 'this specification.

This invention relates to electrically heated laundry irons and other devices and more particularly to automatic cutoff means therefor. l

Various means have heretofore been proposed for cutting off the current supply to such devices under given maximum temperature conditions, butit is believed that such means have proven unreliable in service and unduly complicated and expensive.

The present invention therefore has among its objects to provide an electrically heated device with thermally controlled cutoff means which may be formed of a few simple and rugged parts and which will be positive and reliable in operation and also practically instantaneous in action.

A further object is to provide means of the character stated which will be sensitive to the temperature conditions of that part of the controlled device which is subjected to the maximum amount of heat and which will be protected against injury by careless handling of the controlled device.

A further object is to provide means of the character stated capable of ready application to existing irons and other structures and readily renewable either in part or as a whole.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

1n the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the invention as applied to a conventional form of laundry iron; while Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary views showing slightly'modified constructions.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the same discloses an iron having the usual shoe l, casing 2, handle support 3 and heating element 4 electrically connected with a pair of Contact pins 5 projecting from the casing 2 and arranged for engagement by a plug 6,v

the'latter being connected with a source of i Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 193,648.

current by means of a flexible conductor 7 The cutoff device comprises, in general, a reflexed spring member 8 anchored at one end and having its opposite end engaged beneath the plug 6, said spring being normally tensioned and restrained by a rod 9 anchored to the body of theiron, and being adapted when relieved of such restraint to throw off the plug 6 from the pins 5 thereby interrupting circuit to the heating element.

More particularly the spring 8 is carried within suitable slots 10, l() of the handle support 3, the xed end of said spring being anchored within a suitable socket 11 in said support, while its free end 12 is bent downwardly to tit between the lower end of the plug 6 and the shoulders 13 of the contact pins The spring 8 is further offset at 1li to pass the upper end of the rod 9, said rod and spring being restrained against lateral separation by a clip 15, while a nut 16 is screwed upon said rod beyond the spring for restraining movement of the latter axially of the rod. In practice the nut 16 is preferably provided with a heat insulating covering 1T to facilitate adjustment thereof when the iron is in use.

The lower end of the rod 9 is provided with a head 18 and surrounded immediately above said head by a flat fusible ring or washer 19 countersunk in the shoe 1 and forming with said rod 9 a renewable fusible element or cartridge readily insertible within the iron. The ring 19 is composed of metal or alloy having a relatively low fusion temperaturev` whereby upon excessive heating of the iron, said ring is adapted to soften Yand release the rod 9, whereupon the' spring .permit ready passage of the head 18 therethrough.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 2, the sleeve 23 is preferably of metal and is extended downward and provided with an Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

l a pted to be screuf'ed down within a socket 26 provided Within the upper surface oit the shoe L f d sleeve is furthermore of sui"- rficient i to project above the body oi:

:tacilitatingV assembly therewitheach case 'the Jfusible element is located iin the tone of rm mum temnerature o ie iron, a? Within the shoe,

the cartridge a vvnole is readily insertible is will thus pparent the cartridge may be oviclily and easily renewed follown c "J Enns v n. e 13 my 1 i, ing seiten o oiC the iusioie inateiial tneiei nection it is 'to be noted that renewal of t e cartridge is preferable to repa..n ce repeated fusing of the -fusible matei' i tends to ort lise the nie, with trie result ci varyi" its fusing Lure hence the sensithe cutoff means as Whole. be appa ent, the cartridges l be arranged in other reoect to the controlli/addeeternally il socilil/That i lieuv and desire to secure by Letters l. rlhe combinatie. with an electrically heated device, of circuit control means therefor tending disconnect the same from circuit and restraining means tor said former means to effect release thereoit' under Ien thermal conditions oit a Working porfion oiQ said device7 said restraiing means including` fusible element located Within such porticn of said device and detachably secured therein for ready reneiva-b'iity from without said device.7

2. The combination. with an electrically heated device, oit circuit control meals therefor tendingx to disconnect the same from circuit and restraining means for `said former means to effect release 'thereof yunv der given thermal conditions of a Working portion of said device, said restraining means including a -`fusible element releasnbly secured Within such portion of said device for ready reuen/ability and a mem-- ber secured to said device by said fusible element9 said fusible element being relatively small in cross section and when fused permitting unrestricted movement ol said member,

3. rlhe combination with an electrically heated device, oit circuit control means thereigor tending to disconnect the same from circuit, and releasable restraining means tor said former means, said restrainingI means including a fusible element releasably secured Within said device but adjacent a working surface thereoi2 for subjecting said fusible member to the thermal conditions of said Working surface, said device having' an opening therein to render said element accessible from the exterior thereolE for rcmoval and renewal.

The combination with an electrically heated device, ot circuit control means therefor tending to disconnect the same from circuit7 said device having an opening in a surface tliereoie and shoulder adjacent to said opening, a fusible element to init Within such iing, and a member secured to a fusible A 't oi' said element and to said circuit con Jol means to provide for retention oi"- said iusible element in cooperative relation with said should 1 and for restraint of said circi't control c -ans subject tc release thereof tln'ough fus Y of said element under predetermined "Ji lfinal conditions of said surface of said device.

5. The combination with an electrically heated device7 of circuit control means for said device tendingn to disconnect the saine from circuit and restraining' means for said former means incluo 4 body fusible material located adjacent a ivorlrin; surface of said device and accessible il; n without said -device means e: en LingrH -rough e vond device 'in' coni cctingr means with said "o release l)on i r,

6. trol with an electrically heated iron, ot circ control means iocated upon Uhe top tncreof tending to disconnect said iron if :n circuit and restraining means for said roi.' er means including` a body of fusible irateriil releasably secured adjacent the vr l surface ot' said iron means extending through said iron. for 'connectingl said circuit control means with said `fusible material.

7. The combination with an electrically heated device, of circuit control means therefor tending to disconnect the same Jfrom circuit and a fusible connection between said control means and said device, said connection includinga fusible element located within said device and accessible from a working` surface of said device for removal or renevvalq 8. The combination `with an electrically heated device having)-v means operable to disconnect the same rroin circuit7 of means tending to so operate the former means, and a fusible element for restraining the second mentioned means subject to release upon fusing of said element, said heated device having a socket therein and said element being readily insertible into and removable from said socket.

9. The combination with an electrically heated device having means operable to disconnect the same from circuit, of means tending to so operate the former means, and a fusible element for restraining the second mentioned means subject to release upon fusing of said element, said device having a socket therein adjacent to a heated working portion thereof and -said element being detachably secured to said device and having its fusible material arranged to be located vvithin said socket.

10. The combination with an .electrically heated device having means operable to disconnect the same from circuit, of means tending to so operate the former means, and a fusible element comprising a reciprocatory restraining member for the latter means and a memjber releasably secured within a portion of said heated device, said members being releasable for relative separation through fusing action subject to the thermal conditions of said heated device.

11. The combination with an electrically heated device having means operable to disconnect the same from circuit, of means tending to so operate the former means, and releasable restraining means for said latter means comprising an annular fusible member to be secured to said device, a reciprocatory member engaging said first mentioned means and extending within said annular member and secured thereto, subject to release through fusion thereof.

12. The combination with an electrically heated device having means operable to disconnect the same from circuit, of a spring' tending to so operate said means, and thermally releasable restraining means for said springl comprising an annular member retained within a socket in said heated device, a reciprocatory rod engaging said spring substantially at right angles and extending Within said member, said member being composed of fusible material subjected to the thermal conditions of said device for insuring release of said rod upon undue heating'of said device.

13. The combination with an electrically heated' device having means operable to disconnect the same from circuit, of a spring tendingto so operate said means, and thermally releasable restraining means for said spring comprising a reciprocatory rod engaging the latter substantially at right angles and secured to Said device by means of a fusible member located within a heated portion of said device and adapted to soften and release said rod upon undue heating of said device.

14. The combination with an electrically heated device having means operable to dis connect the same from circuit, of a spring tending to so oper-ate saidv means and thermally releasable restraining means for said spring including an annular member composed of 'fusible material held within a socket adjacent a heated portion of said device and a reciprocatory rod having one end secured to said spring and its opposite end extending through said annular member and headed therebeyond.

15. The combination with an electrically heated device having means operable to disconnect the same from circuit, of a spring tending to so operate said means and thermally releasable restraining means for said spring including a reciprocatory rod having one 'end adjustably` engaging said spring substantially at right angles, the opposite end of said rod having a head, and an annular member composed of fusible material surrounding said rod adjacent said head and being held within a shouldered socket adjacent a heated portion of said device b v. the tension of said spring, said rod and springl being releasable through softening of saidfusible member upon undue heating of said device.

16. The combination with an electrically heated device having means operable to open the circuit thereof, of means tending toso operate the former means and releasable rerestraining means for said latter means comprising a hollow member to be secured within a socket in said device and located adjacent a heated portion thereof, ya reciprocatory member engagin said operating means and extending within said hollow member, said reciprocatory member being normally secured to said hollow member subject to release of the former upon undue heating of said device.

17. The combination with an electrically heated device having means operable to interrupt circuit therethrough, of a spring tending to so operate said means, and thermally releasable restraining means for said spring comprising a fusible medium held. within a socket in said heated device and subjected to the thermal conditions of the latter, a reciprocatory rod engaging said spring substantially at right angles and normally restrained by said fusible medium, the latter being adapted to soften and release said member upon undue heating of said device.

n witness whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name.

EBWIN N. LIGHTFOOT. 

